Connecticut River Killer
Real Name: Unknown Aliases: None Known Wanted For: Murder, Attempted Murder Missing Since: March 28, 1987 catherine_millican.jpg|Cathy Millician mary_elizabeth_critchley.jpg|Mary Elizabeth Critchley bernice_courtemanche.jpg|Bernice Courtemanche ellen_fried.jpg|Ellen Fried eva_morse.jpg|Eva Morse lynda moore.jpg|Lynda Moore agnew.jpg|Barbara Agnew Jane boroski.jpg|Jane Boroski Case Details: During the mid-1980s, a suspected serial killer murdered at least six women along the New Hampshire/Vermont border. It is believed that he also attacked a pregnant woman named Jane Boroski, but she miraculously survived, despite being stabbed twenty-seven times. He attacked all of the women in the Connecticut River Valley near Route 91 in both Vermont and New Hampshire. Cathy Millican, the first known victim, was found murdered in New London, New Hampshire on October 24, 1978. The next victim, Mary Elizabeth Critchley, was found murdered on August 9, 1981, in Unity, New Hampshire. Then, Bernice Courtemanche, a seventeen-year-old nurse's aide vanished on May 30, 1984 in West Claremont, New Hampshire. It is believed that she was abducted while hitchhiking to her boyfriend's house. On April 9, 1986, her remains were found in Kellyville, New Hampshire. Another nurse, Ellen Fried, vanished after calling her sister from a pay phone in West Claremont, New Hampshire on July 20, 1984; her remains were also found in Kellyville, New Hampshire on September 19, 1985. Eva Morse, a single mother, was hitchhiking from work in Charlestown, New Hampshire when she vanished on July 10, 1985. A logger found her remains on April 25, 1986 in Unity, New Hampshire. In Saxtons River, Vermont, the killer changed tactics to murder Lynda Moore during a home invasion on May 15, 1986. A thirty-six year old nurse named Barbara Agnew was missing for two months in Hartford, Vermont before she was found dead near Advent Hill Road in Hartland, Vermont on March 28, 1987. Not only had they all been stabbed in similar geographical areas; all had their throats slit. At around midnight on April 6, 1988, Jane Boroski, then twenty-three and seven months pregnant, was returning home from a county fair when she stopped at a vending machine next to a market near Winchester, New Hampshire. After returning to her car with her drink, a man appeared next to her door, asking about the pay phone. He then opened her car and began to attack her. He pulled out a knife and claimed that she had hurt his girlfriend. However, she denied this. She tried to run and he chased her and stabbed her twenty-seven times. Afterward, the attacker got in his car and left Jane to die. She crawled back to her car and managed to drive to her friend's house two miles away. En route, she was disturbed to find that she was right behind the attacker's car. When she got to her friend's house, he stopped for a second and then drove away. Fortunately, both she and her unborn baby survived. With the investigation at a standstill, detectives brought in criminal psychologist John Philpin to develop a profile of the killer. He made several trips to the area where Bernice and Ellen's bodies were found, hoping to get a better understanding of the killer's mindset at the time of the murders. He believes that the killer pre-selects sites to take his victims to in order to frighten them before killing them. John also interviewed Jane and put her under hypnosis. She described to him, in detail, the brutal attack. She remembered that the attacker seemed extremely calm and collected. She also recalled that when she stopped struggling with him, he seemed to lose interest and stop attacking her. John also tried to get Jane to recall the attacker's car and license plate number. She believed that it was a '75 to '85 Jeep Wagoneer and that the license plate had the numbers "6 6 2". After getting the description, detectives tried to locate it. They were able to narrow down the vehicles to approximately 350. However, they were unable to determine who the attacker was. Extra Notes: This case first aired on the October 9, 1991 episode. Results: Wanted. After the broadcast, an Idaho law enforcement officer called the telecenter. He recognized the composite as matching a man who was being held in an Idaho prison. However, it is unknown if anything came from this lead. Police have indicated that one of the suspects, Michael Nicholaou, a former Army helicopter pilot from the Vietnam War, matches the physical description of the person who attacked Jane. He killed himself in Florida in 2005 after he murdered his wife and stepdaughter. During the time of the murders, he lived in Holyoke, Massachusetts. His wife at the time had relatives living in Vermont. His residence was also very close to Interstate 91. He is also believed to be responsible for the murder of his first wife, Michelle Ashley. Police have had difficulty linking Michael to the killings as there has been no evidence other than Jane's description to tie him to the case. DNA testing in the cases was inconclusive. Also, Michael was living in Virginia at the time of the Courtemanche, Fried, and Morse murders. Police have looked into at least two other suspects in the case. One was Delbert Tallman, who was confessed to killing a woman named Heidi Martin in 1984. Her death was similar to the Connecticut River murders. However, he recanted his confession and was acquitted of her murder. He has never been officially connected to the other cases. Another suspect was Gary Westover, who confessed to being involved in the murder of Barbara Agnew, the final Connecticut River victim. He claimed that he and three other men had abducted and murdered her. However, he died shortly after his confession. It is unknown if he was actually responsible or involved in the other murders. To date, the Connecticut River murders remain officially unsolved. Links: * Connecticut River Killer at Wikipedia * N.H., Vt. residents asked to help solve four killings * Idaho inmate tied to Vermont killings * In real life, detectives don’t always succeed * One who lived sees chance for closure * Woman who survived stabbing in 1988 looks for the public’s help * Victim presses to ID 1980’s serial killer * Stabbing victim IDs attacker years later * A cold case heats up * New interest in Connecticut River Valley serial killings * Murders haunt Connecticut River Valley * Killer's son finds solace in unlikely ally * New Hampshire unsolved case file: Killing of Bernice Courtemanche * Suspect Michael Nicholaou on Murderpedia * Mary Critchley, Bernice Courtemanche, Ellen Fried, Eva Morse, Lynda Moore, and Barbara Agnew on State Police Website * Cathy Millican, Mary Critchley, Bernice Courtemanche, Ellen Fried, Eva Morse, and Lynda Moore on Find a Grave ---- Category:New Hampshire Category:Vermont Category:1978 Category:1984 Category:1985 Category:1986 Category:Murder Category:Attempted Murder Category:Serial Killer Category:River-Related Cases Category:Wanted